Easy Homemade Buscuits

This recipe came into my inbox today from Thrifty Florida Mama. It sounded simple, cheap, and I definitely love that you can freeze ahead of time! I haven't tried it yet, but I still wanted to share it with you! Thanks Thrifty Florida Mama! : )

[The rest of this post was copied straight from her e-mail]

Ingredients:

2 cups self-rising flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup crisco or shortening (I use Butter flavored Crisco)

2/3 cup milk, buttermilk, water/milk mixed

Directions:

Sift flour and stir in baking powder. Pour the milk into the cup and then add the shortening till the cup reaches the 1 cup mark. (this will give you an easy way of getting the shortening out of the cup). Pour into flour mixture and stir until it becomes crumbly.

I then just pinch off pieces of the dough and roll in my hands until the dough isn't sticking to me anymore. Then place into a sprayed round pan for baking. Biscuit sides should touch one another to help them rise up tall and fluffy.

You can turn them onto a floured surface, roll out, and cut for more perfect biscuits but I find that unnecessary.

Bake at 400 for 15 to 20 minutes or until the bottoms are nice and brown.

This recipe comes from my favorite frugal site on the Internet, frugal-families.com. I've been a member there for a looooong time and the ladies that meet and post there are the best on the web. If you are looking for some frugal inspiration for the new year you should consider joining the forums. It is just $10 per year which helps cover the hosting fees for the owner. There are no advertisements and no junk there. Just a wonderful community of like-minded frugal ladies.

Manicotti

Ingredients:

• 10 manicotti shells
• 1 lb. (2 cups) ricotta cheese
• 1 T. parsley
• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• ½ c. Parmesan cheese
• ½ c. mozzarella cheese

Ingredients: (Serving Day)

• Marinara or spaghetti sauce
• Parmesan cheese

Cooking Day Instructions:

 

Cook manicotti shells according to package directions (see hint). Mix all ingredients together and fill manicotti shells. Wrap shells in plastic wrap (2 or 3 together). Freeze, in freezer bag.
Serving Day:

 

Pour sauce over bottom of ungreased baking dish. Lay stuffed manicotti noodles on top of sauce and top with leftover sauce. Then top with Parmesan cheese and bake at 425º for 30-35 minutes.

 

*Hints*

• Slightly undercook manicotti shells when preparing for freezer. This will make it easier to fill them and prevent overcooking when reheated.
• A pastry bag (or plastic bag w/ corner cut off) is a great tool for filling manicotti shells quickly.
• Most manicotti shells are stored in individual, lightweight plastic trays. After stuffing the shells, place them back into trays. Wrap thoroughly with plastic wrap, then place trays in freezer bag.
• Recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc.

My Personal Tips:

• We use "Fiesta Blend" or "Mexican Blend" - first is walmart brand, second is kroger brand - (or whatever the blend is called at your grocery store) for the cheese on top
• Garlic & Onion pasta sauce is GREAT on top!
• Don't substitute Cottage Cheese for Ricotta...will NOT be the same!

Cinnamon Bun Icing

Okay, so my mom has asked for this a few times and I keep forgetting to actually post it on here. ;) So here you go. This is from All Recipes. Here's the link: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cinnamon-Bun-Icing/Detail.aspx?src=etaf

Ok, that's weird. I can't get the recipe to show up right now so I can't actually type it in here. I guess I'll add this later. :)

Guacamole recipe

Update: Let me emphasize that this recipe is a work in progress. I haven't worked on it in a while, that's why it hasn't been updated in a while. It tastes off to me still, so if you try it and do something a little different, leave me a comment and let me know what it is. Thanks :)

Okay, this recipe is a work in progress, but I wanted to go ahead and add it to here before I forgot the amounts I put in it.

Ingredients:

• 1 avacado
• 3 shakes of salt (6 hole salt shaker)
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. chunky salsa (doesn't have to be exact, a little more is fine)
• 1/8 tsp. cilantro (dried)

Mash up avacado mostly with a fork. Add salt, garlic powder, & cilantro & stir together well. Add salsa and stir till mixed in. Serve soon after. Enjoy! :)

Ritz Cheezy Football

Here's another "cheeseball w/bacon" recipe from Kraftfoods.com (exact link: http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/recipedetail.htm?recipe_id=90952 ). I haven't tried this one yet, but it sounds interesting. I don't plan on shaping it into a football though. I'm just going to make it into a big cheese ball or two.

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 5 hr 15 min
Makes: 16 servings, 2 Tbsp. spread and 5 crackers each

Ingredients:

1. 2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
   
2. 1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
   
3. 1/2 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese
   
4. 1/2 cup MIRACLE WHIP Dressing
   
5. 1/4 cup chopped green onions
   
6. 1/4 tsp. black pepper
   
7. 1 pkg. (3 oz.) OSCAR MAYER Real Bacon Bits
   
8. pimientos or roasted red pepper strips (optional)
   
9. RITZ Crackers

Beat cheeses and dressing in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.

Add onions and black pepper; mix well. Cover. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled.

Place on serving plate; form into football shape. Sprinkle evenly with bacon bits. Add pimento strips for "lacing." Serve with the crackers.

**Refer to original website for substitution tips.**

Mini Cheese Balls

This is from KraftFoods.com (the exact link is: http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/recipedetail.htm?recipe_id=89886 ). I haven't tried it yet. It sounds very good though! I was searching for a cheese ball recipe with bacon in it.

Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 2 hr 10 min
Makes: 18 servings, 3 cheese balls each

Ingredients:

1. 1 tub (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread
2. 1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
3. 4 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, finely chopped
4. 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
5. 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
6. 1/2 cup toasted PLANTERS Walnuts, ground

Mix cream cheese spread and mozzarella cheese until well blended. Stir in chopped bacon and seasonings.

Shape mixture into 54 balls, 1 level tsp. each. Roll in walnuts. Cover with plastic wrap.

Refridgerate at least 2 hours.

**Refer to their website for nutritional information, substitution tips, & freezing tips.**

Bacon and Cheese muffins

This was always part of our Christmas dinner at home growing up. This recipe came from my mother. :)

Ingredients:

1. 1 3/4 cups plain flour
2. 1/3 cup sugar
3. 2 tsp. baking powder
4. 1 beaten egg
5. 3/4 cup milk
6. 1/4 cup cooking oil
7. 1/2 shredded cheddar cheese
8. bacon to taste (about 6 strips for me)

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl combine flour,sugar,baking powder and cheese. Make a well in the center.
2. Combine the egg,milk,and oil: add all at once to the flour mix. Stir just til moistened (batter should be lumpy).
3. Lightly grease muffin tins,or use Pam cooking spray, or either use paper muffin cups. Fill 2/3 full.
4. Bake @ 400 degrees about 20 min or until golden brown.

Tip: These are great to make a few batches ahead (and freeze) and heat up for breakfast on busy mornings. I have tried chopping the bacon and cheese in the food processor, but the finished product has more flavor when you hand break up the bacon and shred the cheese since you end up with bigger pieces. I also add another 1/4 cup of cheese to the recipe because we are cheese lovers here in this house! he he.

Sausage Balls

This is also always part of our Christmas breakfast at my mother's house. Thanks mom for the recipe!

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb of sausage
2. 1/2 lb-(8 oz) cheddar cheese
3. 3 cups of baking mix
   

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly.

Form ball and place on cookie sheet.

Bake @ 350 degrees until golden brown, approx 8-10 min. My recipe does not actually give the amount of minutes.

Soft Pretzles (like at the mall)

I got this recipe from All Recipes. These are so delicious. I ate 3 of them & my husband ate 2 (within an hour of making them!) the first time I made them. They taste JUST like the mall pretzels. My only complaint is that it makes such a large batch & once you put them in the fridge, they taste like the frozen ones you buy in the grocery store. So best to scale down the batch if possible or make them when your having several guests over.
Ingredients:

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/8 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup bread flour
• 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 tablespoons baking soda
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast, brown sugar and salt in 1 1/2 cups warm water. Stir in flour, and knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover, and let rise for one hour.
   
2. Combine 2 cups warm water and baking soda in an 8 inch square pan.
   
3. After dough has risen, cut into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 3 foot rope, pencil thin or thinner. Twist into a pretzel shape, and dip into the baking soda solution. Place on parchment covered cookie sheets, and let rise 15 to 20 minutes.
   
4. Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with coarse salt, garlic salt or cinnamon sugar.

sweet onion sauce

I use this for chicken teryaki subs. I got this recipe from 3 sites actually, they are all the same but this is the one I actually copied the recipe from.

• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 tbsp minced white onions
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp buttermilk baking mix
• 1/4 tsp lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp poppy seeds
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 pinch cracked black pepper
• 1 pinch garlic powder

Stir all ingredients together in a microwave safe bowl and then heat on high for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes or until boiling/hot. Remove and then wisk well. Cool and then store in bottles in the fridge.

Fantastic Grilled Corn on the Cob (Kraft)

Yep, from their magazine again.

There are a few variations on the butter mixture. The butter on is the only one we've tried cause we love it! It adds just the perfect punch to the corn to go with the BBQ burgers that my husband loves to cook. You can find all the other variations here.

Ingredients:

• 4 ears of corn
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
• 2 tbsp. original BBQ sauce

PREHEAT grill to medium-high heat. Husk corn; remove silk. Rinse under cold water; shake off excess water. Wrap each ear in foil.

GRILL 15 to 20 min. or until corn is tender, turning occasionally. Remove from grill; unwrap corn.

MEANWHILE, mix butter and BBQ sauce. Spread butter mixture on corn.

Stuffed Fiesta Burgers (Kraft)

We love these!!! Once again this is from Kraft's Food and Family magazine (free!)


(picture courtesy of Kraft's website)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz.) Taco Seasoning Mix
• 1/4 cup Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread
• 1/3 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 4 hamburger buns, split, lightly toasted
• 1/2 cup Thick 'N Chunky Medium Salsa
• 8 slices ripe avocado

PREHEAT grill to medium heat. Mix meat and seasoning mix. Shape into 8 thin patties. Mix cream cheese spread and shredded cheese. Spoon about 2 Tbsp. of the cheese mixture onto center of each of 4 of the patties; top with second patty. Pinch edges of patties together to seal.

GRILL patties 7 to 9 min. on each side or until cooked through (160°F.)

COVER bottom halves of buns with burgers. Top with salsa, avocado and top halves of buns.

Inside-Out Bacon Cheeseburgers (Kraft)

(This recipie was taken out of Kraft Food and Family magazine. Anyone who likes cooking or likes to get new ideas every now and then, should subscribe to this magazine...why is that??? cause it's free!!! To subscribe to it just go to their website, www.kraftfoods.com/free)

Prep: 15 min. Total: 33 min.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 3 tbsp. Ranch Dressing, divided
• 4 slices Bacon, cooked, crumbled
• 2 Kraft singles, cut into quarters
• 4 hamburger buns, split, lightly toasted
• 4 lettuce leaves
• 8 slices tomato

Preheat grill to medium heat. Mix meat and 2 tbsp. of the dressing. Shape into 8 thin patties. Mix remaining 1 tbsp. dressing and the bacon. Spoon about 1 tbsp. of the bacon mixture onto the center of 4 of the paties; top with 2 Singles quarters and second patty. Pinch edges of patties together to seal.

Grill patties 7 to 9 min. on each side or until cooked through (160 degrees F).

Cover bottom halves of buns with lettuce and burgers. Top with tomatoes and top halves of buns.

This recipie was a HUGE hit with my husband! It's pretty good...and REALLY easy to make.

Tip: I don't know if it's as good as it would be with real bacon, but I didn't have real bacon and didn't feel like taking the extra time to cook some so I just used bacon bits...and took a huge guess on how many bacon bits would equal the same amount of bacon...and it still turned out pretty good!

Tangy Limonade (my recipie)

Ok, FINAL draft of this recipie--tried this version today and it was great! So here we go...

Ingredients:

• 1 packet of limonade kool-aid
• 1 packet of pink limonade kool-aid
• 1 packet of limon-lime kool-aid
• 3 cups of sugar, divided
• 14 cups of water, divided
• several empty ice trays (apx. 6)

Directions:

1) mix 1 packet of limonade, 1 cup sugar, & 8 cups water (as directed on package) in a pitcher. Put in the fridge until ready to serve.

2) mix 1 packet of pink limonade, 1 cup sugar, & 3 cups water in a bowl. Spoon out into ice trays and freeze. (I found a soup laddle worked great for this)

3) Do the same as step 2 with the limon-lime kool-aid

4) When ready to serve, put several "kool-aid cubes" into glasses, pour limonade into glasses and Engoy!

Chicken Fajitas (my recipie)

serves: apx. 2 servings

Ingredients:

for chicken mixture:

• Tyson (pre-cooked) grilled chicken strips (frozen)
• 3/4 of an average sized green pepper (sliced)
• 1/6 of an average sized white onion (sliced)
• 2 tbs. butter/margarine

for rice:

• 1 box rice-a-roni spanish rice mix (dry mix)
• 1 (14.5 oz) can of hunts diced tomatoes
• 2 tbs. butter/margarine

for guacamole:

• 3 avacados
• 1/2 cup salsa

toppings:

• sour cream
• GV fiesta blend cheeses
• salsa
• refried beans (warmed)
• 2 pizza sized buritos

Directions:

1) Make rice using directions on box

2) Put sliced onions & green peppers in large skillet with 2 tbs. butter/margarine. Saute on medium-high heat.

3) When green peppers are beginning to turn a darker shade of green, add in frozen grilled chicken strips.

4) Continue saute-ing until chicken is totally thawed and both chicken and onions/green peppers are about half-way browned.

5) Remove & throw away skin and pits on avacados. Mush up avacados in bowl; add salsa and mix together.

6) Heat up tortillas for apx. 24 sec. (Put them in the microwave straight out of the fridge and sit them on top of each other. Heat 12 seconds and then flip the stack of two and heat an additional 12 seconds.)

7) Put tortillas on 2 plates, add chicken mixture, add rice, guacamole, & toppings to prefered taste.